Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus configured to process a sheet and to an image forming apparatus including a sheet processing unit.
Description of the Related Art
Examples of conventional image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers include an image forming apparatus configured to discharge a sheet on which an image has been formed to a discharge space through a sheet discharge port defined in a side wall of a body of the image forming apparatus constituting an inner wall surface of the discharge space.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-72311 discloses an image forming apparatus configured to be equipped with a staple unit mounted in the discharge space. In the case of performing a binding process on a bundle of sheets, this image forming apparatus discharges sheets on which images have been formed to the staple unit through the sheet discharge port defined in the body of the image forming apparatus to subject the sheets to the binding process, and then discharges the bound sheets onto a support tray provided on the bottom surface of the discharge space.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-106294 discloses a sheet finishing apparatus provided with a plurality of sheet discharge portions arranged in the top-to-bottom direction. In the case of processing sheets, this apparatus discharges the sheets to a staple unit through a lower-tier sheet discharge portion. In the case of not processing the sheets, the sheets are discharged onto an upper cover of the sheet finishing apparatus through an upper-tier sheet discharge portion.